Posted October 2003
"Like Fish Need Water"
Being a football supporter doesn't just involve turning up on match day, watching the game, and going home. It's a lifelong, full time occupation. You need news on your team like a fish needs water - it's not rational, you can't affect the score at the end of 90 minutes by knowing that such and such a player is returning from injury; but not knowing such news is unthinkable.
Football fans check scores and news on teletext in a reflex action - long suffering loved ones know better than to interrupt a footy fan checking for their team's score.
The Football Ritual
Talking to fellow fans during the working day invokes rituals include exchanging gossip on injuries, transfers and team line-ups in a manner that would suggest that soap operas aren't the biggest source of daily gossip in this country...
Daily papers are scanned for any mention of your team; radio or TV news reports are turned on halfway through just so that you can catch the sports, excluding any other stuff that may be going on elsewhere.
Swans Abroad
It's only when you don't have the usual media outlets to hand, that you realise how much you miss them. Scrabbling around for days old British newspapers; hoping for scores and reports on foreign sports channels; asking any fellow Brit that you meet if they know any scores - football is a drug and being abroad on holiday during the season is definitely a dose of cold turkey.
After spending the last few weeks in a land that thinks that football involves a pointy ball and wearing enough padding to make a Teletubby jealous (You're not wrong if you guessed the US of A here - Ed), I realised how much exiled Swans fans abroad rely on other less traditional sources of information.
God Bless the Internet
Thus, this week's Vetch Verdict is giving praise to the patron saint of the Internet in order that he watch over and keep safe our Swansea City websites. Much respect goes to the unofficial Swansea City site - www.scfc.co.uk - that has kept Swans junkies near and far informed of daily goings on at the Vetch (and there's been a lot of those over the years).
Honourable mentions in despatches also go to the irreverent www.Jackarmy.net, which can often break Swans new stories before official media outlets. The official website - www.swanseacity.premiumtv.co.uk - too, is finally shaping up to be a useful source of team and ticket news.
Jacks and Advocates
These (and other) websites have often taken many positive leads in the past; helping promote the Swans Trust initiatives, sponsoring players, helping promote testimonials for players, and playing devils advocate to the official media line trotted out by the various club owners in the past.
Long may they continue; thousands of Jacks worldwide wouldn't be without them.
Glen Donnachie
Shane from London is a fan of Jackarmy.net:"Yes, the net is a god send for us exiles. I can't get Swans commentary where I live, so I am very grateful for the radio coverage via the offical site. Jackarmy.net is a quality site which allows banter with other club fans as well as serious discussion and as you say has been first to many news items down the years. The internet also helped us to launch the South East and London Swans, a new Swansea City supporters club."
John from Leeds is a fan of the Jack Army site:"Having just read Glen Donnachie's verdict on unofficial web sites I have to agree with him. Although I am only exciled in Leeds I find myself logging onto www.jackarmy.net at least two to three times a day. Getting not just the news that it tells me, but the opinions on those that are closer is so valuable to me. A big hand goes to anyone who has the time to put a website together."
Richard from Abu Dhabi is in agreement with Glen:"I can't praise enough the facilitators who work so hard to compile the website www.scfc.co.uk. I get my daily Swans news fix from that site and long may it continue. I am the self appointed marketing director of Swansea City AFC Abu Dhabi Branch (total membership two)."
The BBC is not reponsible for the content of external websites.
your comments
We're making some changes to the sites shortly and although this form will be closing, you will have other opportunities to contribute on our new-look site.
Jason Bromham - Swansea
My favourite website is www.swansea.vitalfootball.co.uk its got all the latest news that you won't see on the swansea city official site or www.scfc.co.uk
Fri Sep 8 14:39:51 2006
Eric Robinson - Aberdeen
Scotland is a long way from Swansea and having been up here for 40 years I know the problems that can arise in trying to follow the Swans
I first connected myself to the internet just before Christmas and now get the news generally before people back home thanks to sites such as swanseacity.net, bbc and jackarmy
thanks to everyone concerned
Sun Mar 5 09:00:45 2006
Rob - London
All Swans related websites, SCFC, Jackarmy and even BBC are a god send, theres times when I know things that are happening at the club before my mates who live in Swansea full-time. Its also great to have to try and re-educate Londoners to what a real club looks like! lol
Thu Dec 22 20:15:57 2005
Stewart - Pontyclun
Jack all my life, sadly 43 of them are now here, always on the web mostly on jackarmy.net. Promotion here it comes.
Sun Nov 13 20:43:37 2005
jkfacey London
The web is the only way I can find out how the Swans are doing;apart from the Sunday paper (Wales on Sunday>. I do go to some games if I am not working; the Swans web site is a bridge between me and London keep up the good work, come on ye Jacks.
Tue Nov 1 02:30:11 2005
Ralph from Newbury, Berks
I am an old timer fan. Saw Ivors first game ever for the first team at the Vetch.
So many memories.
Here is the team branded onto my brain. 2-3-5 formation (those were the days!)
Parry
Feeney, Keane
Paul, Weston, Burns
O'Driscoll, Scrin, Richards, Allchurch, Beech
Anyone remember those days of the late Fourties & Fifties?
Keep up the good work.
Top at the moment.Come on you whites!
Mon Sep 26 11:00:25 2005
Roy - Melbourne
I've lived here now for 28 years and I still rush to get the latest results and news on a Sunday morning, keep up the great work.
Tue Jul 5 04:22:21 2005
Armchair Blue - Cardiff
With my obsession with all things Swansea it is refreshing to see a site so dedicated to the cause that I can continue my fascination with all things Swansea.
JackArmy.net is a constant resource for me for information to air which is of interest to Cardiff fans everywhere.
Mon Jun 27 15:31:26 2005
Darren from Swansea
I have been a Swansea fan all my life and I am so glad that they got promotion but I am sad that The Vetch has gone.
Tue May 17 09:43:22 2005
Chris - Mansfield
I've been very impressed by the standard of banter and writing on both the jackarmy.net site and SCFC.co.uk. Breaking stories such as Les Ferdinand signing for Reading and Roger Freestone announcing his retirement were first aired on jackarmy.net. Through sites such as these, exiled fans such as myself can leap aboard the Swansea Train as it sweeps towards League 1.
Thu Mar 31 17:37:16 2005
Nick Rees, Moscow
Without www.scfc.co.uk and other Swans sites, my phone bill would be massive, my parents and friends frustrated (with all the calls) and I would only be able to read about the Swans when I go home or on holiday !
Thanks for what you do - you honestly don't know what it means to some of us !
Thu Mar 31 16:26:03 2005
Peter - Mayhill Swansea.
I have only recently been on the net,how refreshing it is to have a regular update from all the sites covering our beloved Swans.
Thu Mar 10 20:36:46 2005
Jamie Owen-John in Stockport
Seeing as since I moved from Swansea I can hardly ever get to home games any more (I got down for the 4-0 drumming of Notts County on the 18th December 04 though, not bad). I rely on www.scfc.co.uk and www.jackarmy.net for most of my Swans news. Neither ever disappoints. scfc.co.uk is also quite biased towards the Jacks, which is what you like to see as a fan.
Mon Dec 20 19:57:57 2004
Phil Pembroke
For me Jackarmy.net is the best SCFC site. It is definitely the most up to date and is very impartial.
Mon Oct 18 02:19:31 2004
Huw from Morriston
There is a particularly good site www.thevetch.net that will have all the latest info about the commemorative box set put together by a group of dedicated Swans fans, the Trust and the Executive Fundraising committee, its early days yet so please check back from time to time
Tue Oct 12 12:53:19 2004
Mike, Neath
I often wonder what we actually did before the internet for news on the Swans. I remember many a day being abroad and not having a clue what was going on now you can get text messages and a simple trip to a cyber cafe or the like, type in www.jackarmy.net and it is all there in front of you.
God bless the internet and all who contribute to it.
Thu Sep 16 13:19:04 2004
Carl - Swansea
I've recently been on holiday in Gran Canaria. Jackarmy.net was the ideal way to keep in touch with what was going on, off and on the pitch! Up the Jacks
Thu Sep 9 11:40:22 2004
What do you think of Swansea City FC websites? Are you a faraway fan who keeps one eye on the Vetch from your PC? Give us a shout here!
